Thunder
by WhereWildThingsAre
Summary: Quinn never knew it could feel quite like this. After completely falling for Rachel Berry one summer in Connecticut, Quinn has to return to Lima, Ohio. Fate brought them together, but could it hold them there?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, all! This is my first story, I just had an idea for a story that I wanted to put to paper so here's the first chapter. It's mostly a set-up chapter. Let me know what you think! A few notes: Quinn never had a baby, Rachel doesn't live in Lima and you're awesome for reading this.  
Onward, then :)**

**ONE**

Quinn hated Connecticut.

Quinn spent all of her summers here, in northern Connecticut on her "family" vacations. Most of her father's family lived out here, including her grandparents and a few assorted aunts, uncles, and cousins. During these visits, she'd stay with her parents in the guest house behind her grandparent's gigantic three-story home. The house sat on eleven acres of grassy land, where they used to keep horses when Quinn's father was young. Eventually, they had grown tired of taking care of the horses and sold them off, leaving an empty barn behind. During family dinners, Quinn's grandparents would share stories about the horses they used to show, and all of the awards and ribbons they'd won at competitions, and how beautiful the horses were.

Quinn didn't care. Quinn hated horses.

Quinn was always surprised at just how bored she could get on these family vacations. Three months of Fabray time. Three months of awkward family dinners, hearing about her cousins' accomplishments, being dragged to the same vacation spots she'd been dragged to for the last seventeen years. Three months of wishing she was back in Lima, Ohio. Three months of missing Santana and Brittany and Puck and even Finn.

Three long, terrible months.

Spencer was her saving grace whenever she went out to Connecticut. Spencer was her favorite cousin. He had just turned 20, and was the only other member of the Fabray clan who seemed to hate their rituals and routines as much as Quinn did. They'd often get into trouble together, ditching family parties to walk around downtown, or going to the beach to drink together and watch the sun go down. Sometimes they'd stay overnight, other times their families would find them there and take them back home. Whenever that happened, Quinn would get a half-hearted lecture about what it meant to be a proper girl from her mother while her father watched on. She'd go to bed, and the next day that was that.

Girls loved Spencer.

He was extremely handsome, with short blonde hair, green eyes and the signature Fabray facial features. But unlike them, he was down to earth, kind, and funny. Also unlike them, Spencer had no idea how to dress himself. He'd leave the house in plaid shorts and socks and sandals, or a green hoodie and bright orange shorts, and think nothing of it. Quinn would only smile when she saw him on these days. She'd grown used to it by now and just thought it was part of his charm. Girls certainly didn't seem to mind. Quinn figured they thought they could help this poor, devastatingly handsome guy reform his wardrobe and fall in love with them at the same time. But for all of the girlfriends Spencer had had over the years, his fashion sense (or lack thereof) remained.

Quinn's other saving grace here was the secondhand bookstore downtown.

Everything out here was expensive. Antique stores and clothing boutiques lined the streets of downtown, along with gourmet food stores, café-style restaurants and other specialty stores. Quinn's parents were quite wealthy people, but Quinn couldn't ever justify spending 200 dollars on a sweater, or paying 15 dollars for soup and a sandwich. They'd often give Quinn a significant amount of spending money and tell her to take one of her cousin's downtown and have a nice time shopping, but Quinn would often go by herself and only hit the bookstore. The store was called "Henry's Book Shoppe," and was considerably small for the amount of books it held. There were all kinds of books inside, including famous literature from every era imaginable, self-help books, old and new comics, and newer "supernatural romance" fiction. The older books were always slightly frayed, some missing title pages, others with special notes written on the inside cover. Quinn loved those the most.

Quinn could get ten books for less than twenty dollars on a good day. Quinn hoped today would be a good day.

Today was their third day in Connecticut, and Quinn finally had a free evening. The last two nights consisted of unpacking and family dinners, which were made all the more unbearable because Spencer wasn't able to make it. He was away at school, and was going to be arriving home tomorrow.

Quinn was listening to her iPod on her bed when she vaguely heard her mother's voice. She pulled her earbuds out, the sound of Passion Pit's "Let Your Love Grow Tall" leaving her ears, and listened again for her mother.

"Quinnie, dear," Quinn's mother Judith called from the kitchen of their guest home. Quinn got up from her bed with a small sigh and walked downstairs into the kitchen, taking her iPod with her.

"Why don't you go and find Syndey or Emily and go shopping? Here's a few dollars for clothes! I think it'd be quite nice for you to bond more with your…female cousins." Judy handed Quinn a stack of twenty dollar bills with a smile on her face. Quinn gave a small smile and thanked her mom.

"I'll be back later," Quinn said quickly before slipping on her shoes and heading out the front door, neglecting to mention that she had no intention of asking her cousins to join her on her trip downtown. The walk usually took about twenty minutes, and Quinn always appreciated the fresh air.

Quinn put her earbuds in and shuffled through a few songs, humming along when she finally found one she wanted to listen to. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

"Shit," Quinn thought out loud before taking it out and reading the text message.

**Santana (6:15): really Q? did u die of boredom already?**

Quinn had totally forgotten to text Santana when she had finally gotten to Connecticut. She laughed to herself before sending a message back.

**Quinn (6:16): No, not yet. Close. Send help.**

Quinn put her phone back into her pocket and continued her walk downtown. She missed Santana already. She missed Brittany and Lima and wanted to be back with her best friends. She had hoped this was the year her parents had decided their annual trip was unnecessary, or at the very least that they'd only stay for a few weeks instead of a few months. Of course, it was wishful thinking. The Fabrays were people of tradition. And tradition said the Fabrays spent every stupid, god-forsaken summer in Connecticut.

The sounds of Joshua Radin soon filled her ears.

_I need you to know this won't be broken__  
_

_And all that we said will not be lost into the dawn__  
_

_And you would be the last thing I saw coming__  
_

_I'm still surprised__  
_

Quinn had reached downtown._  
_

_You are lovely tonight_

_You dear__ w__ill guide me into the morning light_

_You are lovely tonight_

_Lay here beside me_

_I see the rest of my life with you_

Quinn recognized these shops. She was close.

_Alone we are fine but when we're two we are eternal_

_The moons have aligned our separate lives_

_Here become one__  
_

_And you would be the last thing I saw coming_

Quinn stopped in front of "Henry's Book Shoppe" and shut off her iPod. There was still the same hanging "Open" sign on the front door- a quick look around told her it was the only shop left on the street that didn't have a neon open sign now. The same window still took up most of the store front, with new and old books displayed in a few assorted groups. The store still had the same dark red awning above the door, and the same wooden door with the brass doorknob.

Quinn smiled as she reached for the doorknob and entered the store. She was greeted by the same familiar bell that had always hung over the door. The smell of old books hit her immediately, and for the first time in three days, Connecticut felt a little bit like home again. The store was much longer than it was wide, with several tall book shelves lining the walls and standing in the middle of the store, creating small aisles. There were a few chairs toward the back of the shop. The walls were a pleasant yellow color, the floor the same wood it had been for all of the years. Quinn remembered the parts of the floorboard that squeaked when she walked over them. The counter with the register was to her right. It was also made of wood. Quinn didn't see anyone behind it until the door closed behind her.

"Hi, welcome to Henry's! If you have any questions let me—shit" Quinn turned her attention to the counter, where a small brunette had just apparently knocked a stack of books onto the floor in front of the counter.

"Shit! I mean shoot. Shoot. I'm sorry! What I meant to say was if you have any questions, let me know. I'll be here. Behind the counter. After I'm done picking up these books that I just knocked over." The cashier girl walked in front of the counter and began to pick up the books.

Quinn stared at the girl, who hadn't actually looked up at the blonde yet. Quinn stared. And stared. And then she realized she'd been staring. And staring. What the fuck?

Quinn's face turned red. "Let me help," she said, trying to snap out of whatever she was in, before realizing the brunette girl was picking up the last book. Quinn still stood there.

The girl finally looked up at Quinn, who was still just _standing _there. "I think I've got them all, thank you—"

The eye contact was intense. It was electric. It was too long and too short and Rachel and Quinn both reddened, neither breaking eye contact until Quinn looked at the ground.

"I'm sorry about your books," Quinn mumbled.

"Oh," Rachel said quietly, looking away. "I think that they will be okay." She looked back up at Quinn.

Quinn was pretty sure she wasn't breathing. This girl was some crazy kind of beautiful that Quinn had never seen before. Her long, brown hair was tied back in a pony tail. Short bangs fell across her forehead. Her eyes were a deep brown, her cheek bones prominent and her lips…

Stop staring at her lips, Quinn.

"I'm Quinn," she blurted.

"I'm Rachel," the shorter girl responded. "Are you from around—"

"I have to go," Quinn said quickly. With that, she turned around, threw the door open and sped back home, leaving them both to wonder what the hell had just happened.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is chapter two! Thank you for checking this story out. I apologize in advance for any formatting errors, I'm still getting used to this set-up.  
Enjoy!**

**TWO**

It took Quinn no more than ten minutes to get home.

She threw open the door to the guest house, threw the unspent money on the counter, ran upstairs and threw herself on her bed.

It took her a moment to realize no one else was home.

Quinn groaned and covered her face with her hands. She had just had what she was sure was the world's most awkward and horrible interaction with the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen.

_The most beautiful girl she'd ever seen._

_The most beautiful girl_

_girl_

Quinn groaned again. What the fuck was that even about? Since when did Quinn notice girls? Since when were girls able completely desist all of Quinn's mental functions?

Girls weren't. Rachel was.

Quinn had never even thought of other girls that way. There was the time she had kissed Santana, but that was only during a drunken game of truth or dare at Puck's end of school party last year. Santana had dared her to do something unexpected, thinking Quinn would be too lame to really do anything. Fueled by alcohol and a constant need to one-up Santana, Quinn had just smiled, leaned into her, snaked her hand behind Santana's neck and made out with her for what felt like an hour, but was probably more like a minute. When Quinn finally pulled away, she sat back on her heels with a smirk on her face. Santana finally opened her eyes after a few seconds, looking a little like Quinn had just slapped her in the face, but mostly looking completely turned on. Brittany looked like she wanted to devour them both. Santana reached for her drink, took a long swig, and finally composed herself with a "your turn, Q," and that was that. Quinn had to admit that the experience was hot, and that Santana had been a good kisser, but she hadn't thought anything else of it. She'd really never thought much about kissing guys, either. She'd done it quite a few times, with Finn or with Puck or Sam or the few other boys she had dated in high school. And it was nice. Usually. But she couldn't remember it ever feeling like today.

Today she'd wanted to kiss Rachel. She'd wanted to kiss her a lot.

Quinn lied in bed for the next few hours, wishing she'd actually picked up a book to distract herself from her thoughts. Who was Rachel? Why did she care so much about getting to know a girl she'd interacted with for no more than three minutes? Why did she suddenly feel so weird in her own skin?

She eventually pulled her phone out of her pocket to check the time. 10:53. She also had texts from Santana, Finn, and Brittany.

**Santana (6:33) definitely not sending help. have fun, virgin mary. pray the boredom away**

_Charming, _Quinn thought. She checked the next message.

**Finn Hudson (8:06): hey quinn call me soon ive been thinkin about u**

_Typical_, Quinn thought. She deleted the message. Finn was a nice enough guy, but he was severely misguided when it came to his and Quinn's relationship, mostly his thinking that they _had_ one. She checked the next message.

**Brittany (8:25): Santana told me you were dying :( she said Connecticut does that to people and now I hope I never have to go there**

Quinn texted Brittany to let her know that she wasn't actually dying. She set her phone on the nightstand beside her bed, walked to her dresser and threw on pajama bottoms and a tank top. She shut off the light and got under the covers in her bed, hoping sleep would come soon.

It didn't.

She thought more about the girl she saw at the bookstore today. About Rachel. About Rachel's effect on her. Quinn wasn't sure if she wanted to run right back to the bookstore and kiss Rachel and just talk to her (maybe not in that order) or if she wanted to run all the way home in hopes of never running into the girl again. On one hand, Quinn very badly wanted to get to know the girl. On the other, she had made a complete ass of herself and wondered if the girl—no, _knew _the girl had to think she was absolutely crazy. She had just stared at her. And stared.

But Rachel had stared too, hadn't she? What did _that _even mean?

With these thoughts swimming in her head, Quinn eventually fell asleep.

* * *

"WAKE UPPP QUINNIE I THINK I'VE GOT SOMETHIN' TO SAY TO YOUUUU!"

Quinn woke up to pounding on the door accompanied with a God-awful rendition of "Maggie May" being sung to her from the other side of the door. She groaned.

"IT'S WAY PAST NOOOOON AND YOU REALLY SHOULD GET OUT OF BED," the male voice sang. In her sleep-ridden state, it took Quinn a second to realize it was Spencer's voice.

"Spencer!" Quinn nearly squealed as she tore the covers off of her and threw the door open, giving him an enormous hug.

"Quinn, I wasn't done with my song," he said, a faux-serious look on his face.

"No, I definitely think you were," Quinn replied with a smile.

"No! I've been working on that song for days. Weeks, even. I think I've found my calling," he continued, breaking their hug to sing with exaggerated hand gestures. "I KNOW I KEEP YOU AMUSED, SO I CAME HERE FROM COLLEGE AND NOW WE CAN HANG—"

"Enough!" Quinn said, throwing her hand over his mouth, laughing. "I'm pretty sure you just sort of gave up at the end there, anyway."

"I think you're right. Damn. I'm all washed-up," he said, smiling at Quinn. "But it really is way past noon. Like, almost three. And guess what?"

"What?"

"The fair is in town tonight."

Quinn was ecstatic. In the chaos of unpacking and saying "hellos" to all of her family members, and that crazy, awkward moment she'd had with bookstore girl yesterday (which she had just forgotten about until now, ugh), she'd completely forgotten about the fair. She and Spencer loved the fair. Whenever it came into town, they made a point to go the first night it was open. There was the ferris wheel, and those spinning rides (those usually made Quinn want to vomit, but Spencer loved them), and countless games where you could win enormous stuffed animals, and vendors selling deliciously fattening fried everythings. And now, Spencer was here, and the fair was here, and Quinn thought she just might live to see another day.

"Let's go! We're going, right? We have to go. Tonight," Quinn said. Spencer laughed.

"Of course," he said. "We do have to survive a Fabray dinner first, though. They want to 'welcome me back to Connecticut'," Spencer said, using air quotes. "By the way, your mom made bacon earlier, but you didn't get up to eat it, so…"

Quinn's eyes grew wide. "Oh, no! Not my bacon! Anything but my bacon!" she shouted in an old southern-accent, throwing the back of her hand against her forehead and falling back against her bed.

Spencer always knew her best.

* * *

Rachel Berry had a date tonight.

His name was David. He'd lived down the street from Rachel and her fathers for the last few years when his family had moved here from Maine. He'd had an obvious crush on Rachel ever since. She'd never really been interested, but he was cute and very sweet, so she had eventually given in. They'd been on a walk through the neighborhood when he picked a flower from a neighbor's yard, handed it to Rachel and asked her to let him take her on a proper date. The gesture itself was cute, and he had looked so eager, so Rachel obliged. She didn't think she'd ever seen him smile so big. He would take her to the fair on Friday, he'd said. He'd pick her up at seven.

Rachel loved the fair. She loved the way it lit up at night. She loved the fried foods and the carnival games and the ferris wheel and even the spinny-pukey rides. It all felt so romantic to her. She'd watch couples hold hands as they got onto the ferris wheel, and watch macho-boyfriends spend dollar after dollar trying to win their dates those enormous cheap stuffed animals, or watch couples share a gigantic fried whatever it was, and it would fill her heart with a wanting feeling. She couldn't wait to have her own date to share those things with, to look out at the city from the top of the ferris wheel, to stumble off of a spinning-death ride holding hands and laughing until they couldn't breathe. Rachel had wanted it all so badly.

And tonight, she guessed she'd have that.

Which reminded her.

She still had to inform her fathers of tonight's plans.

Rachel took a look in the mirror before heading downstairs. She was looking a bit worse for wear: sleep hadn't come easily last night. She had spent hours awake in her bed, thinking about the blonde girl she had met at work yesterday.

Quinn.

Quinn, the most beautiful and strangest girl she'd ever seen.

Quinn, who had stared at her for a little too long.

Quinn, who had left just as quickly as she came.

Quinn, who she hoped desperately to see again.

Rachel shook her head. Quinn was the kind of beautiful that didn't exist outside of movies. More importantly, Quinn was the kind of beautiful that had to have a gorgeous, adoring boyfriend. This thought made Rachel's stomach twist. She wondered how lucky a guy like that must feel.

Rachel shook her head again. She was being ridiculous. She didn't even _know _Quinn. Maybe she was mean. Or maybe she chewed too loudly. Or maybe she was the type of person who wore two different socks. And certainly Quinn thought she was just a clumsy girl who rambled and knocked things over.

_Good one, Rachel,_ she chastised herself.

Shaking these thoughts from her head, Rachel walked downstairs.

"Dad, Daddy," she said as she approached the living room. "I am here to inform you that, being of the age of seventeen, I feel responsible and adult enough to begin dating and, although I know this may be an endeavor that one or both of you feels uneasy about, I want to assure you that I am indeed ready, both mentally and emotionally, and that David will be here at seven to pick me up and we will be going to the fair, on a real date, tonight."

Hiram and Leroy had turned off the television and were both staring at Rachel. A short silence hung in the air before Hiram spoke.

"Thank goodness," he said.

Rachel's jaw hung open.

"Amen," Leroy agreed. "We were getting worried that you'd never have any fun in your life. But really, David? Isn't he a bit…dull, pumpkin?"

"Dad!" Rachel said, still recovering from the shock of the ease of her fathers' acceptance. "He's nice! He's not dull! Well, not really anyway. I mean he's not! And wait, you don't care I'm going on a date? A real date?"

"Rachel, dear," Hiram said. "We think it's good for you to go on a date. We know you're smart and responsible. You're the one who has been putting off dating, not us. We were starting to worry that you'd never be interested in anyone…"

"Hiram!" Leroy interjected. "What your daddy is trying to say, Rachel," Leroy continued, shooting a death glare at his husband, "is that we hope you make good choices and have a fun evening. And, of course, that you be back by curfew."

"Right," Rachel said. "Well, okay then. I'll be sure to be back by then." Rachel checked the time. It was nearing six. "I'm going to go get ready now."

Leroy and Hiram shared a small smile as Rachel ran up the stairs to get ready for her date.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: These updates most likely won't keep coming so quickly, but I wanted to get a good start on this story. Thank you for the reviews and favorites and follows! **

**THREE**

Quinn and Spencer survived dinner. Barely, but they survived.

Quinn's aunts and uncles and grandparents had questioned Spencer for most of the evening, and Quinn was able to get through dinner without saying much. This was probably a very good thing, because the only thing on her mind was a certain brunette from yesterday. She ate in relative silence, eager for dinner to be over, eager to get to the fair with Spencer. She practically jumped out of her chair when her grandfather announced that dinner was over.

"Thank God," she murmured, perhaps a bit too loudly. She looked at Spencer, who was getting up as well.

"What are you so excited about, Quinn?" Judy asked.

"Spencer and I are going to the fair," she answered, already heading for the front door of her grandparent's house.

"Okay, just don't be—"

"I won't be back too late," Quinn said over her shoulder, interrupting her mother as she and Spencer left the house.

"We are freeeee," Spencer sang as they walked toward his car. "We are—"

"Spencer, I love you, but are you ever going to stop singing?" Quinn asked, looking over at him.

He laughed. "Nope. Maybe. You've always been the musically talented one," he said. "How is that, by the way? Glee and everything."

Quinn smiled. Glee was something she really loved taking about. Her family never asked; they didn't care. They'd ask about cheerleading, and boyfriends, and her academic accomplishments, but never about glee club. Her mother sometimes asked, and her parents had even seen a show or two, but that was the extent of it.

"Glee's wonderful," Quinn said. "We think we really have a chance at nationals this year. We've gotten so much better since our first year. I really miss everyone while I'm out here."

And she did. She imagined Puck would be throwing one of his parties this weekend and wished she could be there. The glee clubbers had become her best friends over the years, which was still a little odd to her, considering she had been absolutely dreading joining when Coach Sylvester made her. They understood each other. She didn't have to pretend in glee club. They celebrated each other, and that was something she hadn't really experienced before.

They got into Spencer's car headed to the fair. It was almost eight, and the sun had mostly set already, and they could see the lights of the ferris wheel over the homes and shops as they grew closer to their destination.

"Parking here always sucks," Spencer said, pulling into a spot that was much further away than he would have liked. He shut off the car and they both got out, walking toward the fair.

It was, as always, beautiful.

The whole place was illuminated. The ferris wheel stood toward the far end of the fair, shining with blue and pink and purple and yellow lights. There were a few rides Quinn could see from here: a merry-go-round and one of those enormous swinging rides, a spinning UFO ride, a small train ride for children. She could hear the sounds of kids laughing on the merry-go-round, and she could hear the yells coming from the people on the larger rides. There were games with small crowds gathered in front of them, and others with just one or two frustrated players trying to win prizes. The air held that familiar fair smell, created by the vendors that were selling funnel cakes, cotton candy, fried twinkies, French fries and more.

It was paradise to Quinn.

"C'mon!" she said to Spencer, grabbing his hand and practically running into the fairgrounds. Quinn stopped when they were in front of the merry-go-round. "What do you want to do first?"

Spencer looked around and evaluated his choices. His eyes finally settled on a game called "High Striker." It was the game where a contestant used a hammer to strike the lever and tried to hit the bell at the top. There was a group of girls standing near it.

"Isn't it a bit early for you to be showing off your muscles?" she questioned with a quirked eyebrow.

"It's never too early to show off these bad boys," Spencer said, flexing and wiggling his eyebrows.

Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Come on, then," she said, walking toward the game. Spencer followed.

* * *

Two hours later, Spencer had gotten four phone numbers and Quinn had three stuffed animals, two of which Spencer had given her, and one she had won herself. They were awkward to carry, so she had given the one she won to a little girl who had been crying because she wasn't tall enough to ride the spinny death ride.

Quinn wasn't sure why anyone would be upset about that.

"I want to go on the ferris wheel," Quinn said as they finished the last of their funnel cakes. Spencer agreed.

"Sounds good to me! Let's go," he said, standing up and throwing away their trash. They started toward the gigantic wheel.

That's when Quinn saw her.

* * *

Rachel had showered, straightened her hair, applied her make-up (she opted for just a bit of eyeliner and mascara), and settled on short jean shorts, a white tank top, and a yellow cardigan.

She examined herself in the mirror, running a brush through her hair. It was almost seven, and David would be there soon. Sooner than she thought, actually, because just then the doorbell rang. She heard one of her fathers walk toward the door.

"Oh boy," Rachel said to herself, grabbing her purse from her bed and quickly heading downstairs. "Daddy, don't—"

Hiram swung the door open just as Rachel was descending down the stairs.

"Hello there, David!" he said, standing up straight. "Tell me, just what are your intentions with my daughter?"

David was clearly caught off-guard, answering with an "uh" before Leroy swept in front of him, taking the bouquet of flowers David brought from his hands.

"Flowers for me? Oh, you shouldn't have!" he declared, holding them to his heart. "Oh Rachel, he is such a gentleman!"

"Why did I know this was going to happen," Rachel mumbled, turning bright red at her fathers' antics.

David looked at Rachel as she stepped in front of her fathers, grabbing the flowers from Leroy's hands. "Thank you for the flowers, David," she said to him, stepping outside to join him on the front porch. "They're lovely."

"Have her home before midnight, David!" Hiram said. "And she better not come with any of those marks on her neck! If she does—"

"Good-bye dad, good-bye daddy," she cut him off, shutting the door behind her and rushing David toward his car. "I'm so sorry about that."

David gave a lop-sided smile. "Your dads are weird."

Rachel gave a small laugh, stepping into the passenger's seat as David held the door open for her. He held it open for a moment, looking at her.

"You look really pretty tonight," he said, almost nervously.

"You don't look so bad yourself," Rachel said with a small blush. He smiled, shut the door, got into the driver's seat, and they were off.

* * *

The night had gone off without a hitch. David had won her a giant stuffed monkey, they'd ridden the spinning rides together, and shared cotton candy. David was actually funny, too, and had her laughing throughout the night.

It was pleasant.

"So, what now?" David asked as they stepped off of the ferris wheel. He reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers. Rachel smiled at him. She yawned. Her lack of sleep last night was catching up to her, and it was a bit after ten.

"I've been having a great time, David," she said, squeezing his hand for emphasis. "But I'm getting really tired. Do you think we could head home?"

"I never took you for a party pooper, Rachel," he said lightly. She scoffed in mock-offense. "I can bring you home. I don't like it, but I can do it."

They walked toward the exit, exchanging polite conversation and laughter. They were halfway to the parking lot when Rachel saw her.

Just as Rachel had guessed, she was with a gorgeous guy. She looked so beautiful, wearing white shorts and a dark green sweater. She wore her hair down in a slight wave that Rachel guessed was natural.

Her heart rate quickened.

Quinn had been looking at her. Staring. Again. They locked eyes as Rachel walked by, slower now. David was saying something that wasn't registering to her. Quinn gave Rachel what Rachel was sure was the world's most beautiful smile before saying something to her alleged boyfriend. Rachel smiled back, still staring as she sped up to catch up with David. He was looking at her with a confused expression. Rachel turned back to him when Quinn was out of sight.

He began again, slowly. "Anyway, like I was saying…"

David's sentiment was lost on her. She was looking at the ground, waiting for her pulse to slow down, waiting for her head to stop spinning. She was certain her face was still bright red. Her throat was dry. When she finally came back down to earth, she looked up at David and managed to nod and smile at whatever he was saying. They shared a half-hearted conversation in the car on the way home. David dropped her off at her home, walking her to the door and kissing her on the cheek.

"I had a great time tonight, Rachel," he said. She gave a small smile.

"Me too, David. Thanks for everything."

He said he'd call her soon, and she'd nodded and smiled like she'd done so many times in the last twenty minutes.

She walked into her house and shut the door behind her.

* * *

"Quinn? Hellllllo?" Spencer followed her line of sight and noticed the dark-haired girl that Quinn was staring at. He raised an eyebrow. "You know her?"

Rachel stood, looking at Quinn, holding hands with a guy who was nowhere near attractive enough to be her boyfriend. At least, Quinn didn't think so.

In fact, she hated him.

"Uh," Quinn said, not taking her eyes off of Rachel. "No. Yes. I mean, sort of."

Spencer looked back at the brunette.

"Huh. She's cute," he said. "Really cute."

She snapped her attention back to him, eyes wide. "No," she said firmly.

"Relax! Just an observation," Spencer replied. He paused. "You're being weird."

Quinn, realizing she was just _staring _again, now smiled at Rachel. Rachel smiled back and it made her heart swell. She turned back to Spencer.

"You're weird," she said. "Let's go."

"Whatever you say," Spencer said in a sing-song voice. Quinn walked with him to the ferris wheel, thoughts of Rachel invading her mind. Rachel had smiled back at her. Maybe she didn't think Quinn was some kind of freak. And if Quinn had any doubts before, she was certain now.

Rachel had been staring at her, too.

Spencer didn't attempt to start a conversation. Quinn was distracted. Quinn had no idea what was going on with her, or who Rachel was, or why she felt the way she did when she looked at her. One thing was clear.

Quinn Fabray had it bad.


End file.
